Automobile radio antenna



1943- R. L. DILLON 2,326,443

AUTOMOBILE RADIO ANTENNA Filed Nov. 7, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 liflbefil Z; FDL'ZZOM fig, 6 INVENTOR.

ATTORNQIYS.

Aug. 10, 1943.

R. L DILLON 2,326,443

AUTOMOBILE RADIO ANTENNA Filed Nov. 7, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 p4 46 Zfi .2

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43 Ill" 120307 2 ,Z.filZZ0ll INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS R. L. DILLON 2,326,443

AUTOMOBTLE RADTO ANTENNA Filed Nov. '7, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet s 1212/10/11 "LLB/Z1071 1N! 'EN TOR.

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Patented Aug. 10, 1943 curred stares PATENT" orsrce:

.an'rommsmn name ANTENNA Robert nmis womManchestor, N. 14., assignor of oneJnflfto B. J. Sullivan. Nashua N H.

Application November 1, 195a, Serial No; 239 3fi3 Mfllnims. (cifzmn invention aims to provide a novel antenna, adapted to be. carried; on an. automobile, the antenna being telescopic,v and. novel means under the control of anoperator being provided fbrextendlng and shortening the antenna from a place. the auto. 1.. It ls'within the provi'nc or" the disclosure to improve generally and to enhanc the utility of, devices of that type to which the present invention appertains the above. and other objects in view, which wlll appear as. the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination. and

arrangement of parts and: in the details. of. 0011- I struct'i'on hereinaiter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed,.may be made within the scope or what i claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective showing a portion of an. auto, whereonthe deviceforming the subject matter of this application has been mounted;

Fig. 2 is a cross section showing ,a portionof an auto which. the device forming the subject matter of this application has been incor- FO M;

Fig. 3" is a vertical seetionalyiew illustratin the reel construction andv parts of the antenna;

Fig. 4 is a cross section onthe line 44 of Fig. 5 is avertical. section, showing the antennainitsshortened condition;

Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line 6 i of Fig. 3; I v

Fig, '7 is a Cross section on the line 1-4 of Fi 3.

In the following. description, words grounded on a iron or back",concept have reference shown in Fig. 6. Washers 5, on the securing 40 to the forward and rear ends of an automobile;

elements 4, space the reelbase 3 from the instrumentboard2.

. Referrizg' to Fig- 7', it will'be noted. that bolt studs 6 throughth reel. base 3, the bolt studs having rearheads I and fixed intermediate collars 8. Nuts 9 are threaded on the forward ends of th W? 55 16: i, and, thus, the bolt Studs a e fastened ln the reel 3.- Rollers l0 and the collars 8' and the heads 7.

Ilia. are jpurna'led on the bolt studs 5,, between The heads 1 of the bolt studs 6 may b let into the rear portions of the rollers 10 (Fig; 7) flush with the rear en'd'suriaces of the rollers. The bolt studs. Sand the rollers. Hf are arranged in. a circle on the reel base 3, as can be seen best in Fig. 3;. the positional the reelbase on the instrument board 2 appearing inFigs. 1' and 2.

An insulating bearing H, disclosed in Fig. 4, is securedin the instrument board 2, concentrically withrespect tothe circle defined by the rollers NT. A fixed shaft I2 extends through the bearing 11., the shaft having a head 14 and a shoulder f5. Anut I6 is threaded on the forward part ot the shaft l2 and engages the bearing H, the; shoulder t5 being drawn. into tight contact with the reel base 3, and the shaft r2 thus be ing held fixed with respect to the reel base. A

bindl'ngnut IT is threaded on the forward part betweenthe head M of the shaft and th reel bases, thev reel body having a hub 20 which spacesitfrom'the reel base 3'. Here note that the periphery of the reel body is moves in close relation to and p'referably in Contact with, the rollers I0 that are journaled on the reel base 3, a feature the utility or which will be made manifest hereinafter. The reel body I9 is provided with a peripheral groove or seat 2|. The reel body ['9 may be rotated in any appropriate way,

' for instance by means of oppositely-disposed handies 22 on the reel body.

A collector-ring 23 is mounted in the reel body I8 and is disposed about the rear part of the shaft 12. To the collector-ring 23 is connected the inner end of a conducting strip 24, the strip being extended outwardly in the reel body 19, and being joined to a flexible element 25, wound in theseat 2| of the reel body. At this place it may be observed thatthe rollers l0 extend across th groove or seat 2| of the reel body IS.. The

flexible element 25, which may be a metal wire,

at times exerts a Dull, to telescope and lower the antenna, hereinafter described; and, again, thefiexible element 25 exerts a thrust, to elongate and raise the antenna. When the flexible elemeat 25 exerts a thrust on th antenna, there is a tendency for the flexible element to expand out of the seat 2| in the reel body is, but that expansion is checked by the rollers In on the reel base 3. b It is shown in Fig. 3 that two of second section 21.

,rna'deat all necessary points handles the rollers l0, designated specifically by the character Ilia, serve as guidesjdirecting the flexible: element 25 into'the circumferential seat 2! of section 26 being extended into close relation to the reel body l9, as Figs. 2 and 3 show. The lower end of a'second'straight, vertical, tubular,

antenna section 2? abuts against the upper end of the first sectionEiS. Telescoped in the second section 27 is a third section 28, provided at its lower end with a foot 32, received slidably in the The abuttingends of the antenna sections 2i32'l, are received within-aninsulating sleeve 42, forming-part of alower' supporting bracket 43, secured on the side wall of the auto 5.

the inner or lower end ofthe first antenna section 2-6, and includes'a stopper block 33, 511, partition 34, and an absorbent packing35 between the stopper blockand thelpartitioni 'I n'the upper .end of thelantenna'sec'tion 2B thereisaflike gland 36, a like gland ,3lbeing'mounted in the lower end of the second'section 21, a like gland 38 being mounted in the upper end of the se'c'ond section 27, "and alike gland ll being ,lllbllnted in theupperend ofthe section 28, The'pack- .ings' 35 of all of these Tglands ma'y be charged l with oil through suitably located 011 holes 44b The flexible element 25 i slides in the; gland 115d of Fig. 3, in theigland 36, and in the gland 31. The sec ion 28. of the antenna slides in the gland 38 of the section 21 andthe rod-like upper or fourth member 3! .of theantenna slides in, the.

gland!!! of the section 28,1the member 311 having a foot'lfi whichslides in the antenna section, 28.

' The upper end of the flexible elementj25 is secured to the footie of the"uppermost antenna section 3!. f I f I f ion the upper end of the second afntennais'ection, 2'i1is .mounted a. circumscribing band 4,5,

" having a tapered upperfend 6E, adapted tobe received in. a' correspondinglyfshaped seat 6!,

formed in a skirt Q6 constituting part of aniorn'a- When the fana weather-tight joint is effected When theantennais ra" das in g. 2, by

:Irneansof thefiexible element 2.5 and the cooperating parts 32 -38 and 'ill4l of Fig. 5, radiant energy is received by the upper antenna section 35 and passes alongthe flexible element, '25 to 'ductor' 24, thecollector ring 23,1 the'sha'ft' l2 and the conductor 13, adequateprovisionbeing to prevent undesirable grounding. r g j V .The reel body I9 is turned'by 'meansjo'f the 22, toladvance' or retract the flexible element 25,;that element, although flexiblebeing stiff en ugh'to extend the antenna ,tojtl e'con- "'idition shown'in'Fig. 2. By 'a 'reverse'rotation o fjthe reelbody' 19, the antenna may lee-telescoped to the condition of Fig. 5. Part 'of th'e flexible elementfZi'a coiled in or drawn out of the peripheral circumferential seat :2lofthe reel body if the rollers [6 on the reel bas'e 3 preventing the flexible element from. jumping out of the seat at any time. 1

absorbent packings, with means for retaining the I v of the pushand pull element and An upper bracket 29, having an 'insulatingsleeve 3!, receives the second section il andl secures it to. the side wall'of thejautoll. Y'Referring ton 3, a gland 58 is mounted to 'packings in place, andwith means for lubricatingthe packings: the push and pull element passing through the lubricated packings, and the in claim 1, in*combinatio n with'a housing, a

curved tubefone end' of which enters thehousing, mechanism within the'housing for "operating the push and pull element, the: tube being provided with a packing, a retaining means therefor, and a'lubricating means,al1 located closely adjacentto said mechanism and tending to avoid bucklingofthe push andpull element,

between 'said' means and said end of'th'e' tube.

' 'thersupportand spacing the? base from the sup'-- 7 3. In a device of the class described,a support,

an insulatingreel base disposed adjacent to the support, retain'ersarranged in a circle on the base, securing elements connecting the base with port'to provide "room for-securing the ends of le retainers to the base, a shaftmounted in the base and in the support, a reel mounted to turn on the shaft'a'n'd having a peripheralgroove located in close relation to the retainers, a handle on the reel, the reel having a hub engaging the base tospace the reel fromthe base and leave room for securing'thej end ofthe handle to the reel, a telescopic antennaf'and'means for operating jthel antenna, ,said means including a flex- "ible elementpas'sing downthe'pe riphery of the reel, in"th'e groove thereof, and within the circle defined by the retainers, "the flexible element passinggthrough the reel, :into conducting en- 'gagement with the shaft, and means for connectthe shaft 12' of Fig. 4,'and thenceintothejconretracted-position. l I n 5." In an antenna device'of the type described, a plurality of telescoping elements of-conductingajlead-in to the' shaft, on the opposite side of the support from the reel-base. 1 i

'4. An automotive vehicle antenna rcornbination including, abasic support sectionfadapted to have other sections telescopically"housed therein with means for preventing the sections from being separated when the sectionsare moved to extended position, the basic section being insulatingly mounted on part of the.ve-

hicle, ,a flexible memberhaving one end fastened to the lower end of the inner antenna section, and meansunder control of an occupant of the vehicle for acting on said flexible member to 'move "said sections to extended position and also to move thenrto retracted position, and "a receiver 7 I for the flexible member when the' antenna is in ing material meansior securing one of said ele- ,ments to a vehicle; elongate flexible, means mounted in said telescopingelements and'hav- "ing one end thereof fixed to the uppermost element; and means for urging the elongate flexible means in"either of'two directions to cause the telescoping elements to "extend or contract.

the other end of the wire is secured, the wire being adapted to be wound upon said reel whenthe same is rotated in one direction to collapse the elements and to extend the elements when unwound therefrom upon rotation of the reel in the opposite direction.

7. In an extensible antenna assembly adapted to be mounted on a motor vehicle, a tubular member adapted to be mounted fixedly with respect to said body and electrically insulated therefrom, an extensible antenna rod slidable within said member to be extended and retracted with respect to said member, a reel mounted for rotation adjacent said member, a flexible connecting member coiled about said reel and passing within said tubular member and secured to said rod, a

sheath surrounding said connecting member between sa'id'reel and said tubular member.

8. In an antenna assembly adapted to extend on the exterior of a vehicle body and operable said reel, a flexible member carried by said reel and passing through said sheath and secured to a the inner end of said rod and means to rotate said reel and thereby shift said rod and said sleeve relative to each other and said support.

9. In an extensible antenna assembly adapted to be mounted on a motor vehicle, an extensible radio signal-carrying member mounted on said vehicle for extension and retraction with respect thereto, a flexible actuating member secured to said extensible member, a reel structure rotatably carrying a circular disc having a groove in its peripheral edge to receive said flexible member in stacked turns, the disc by its rotation causing said flexible member to actuate said extensible member, and a plurality of rotatable circular members carried by the reel structure arcuately positioned around and closely adjacent said disc to hold said turns in working order within said groove.

10. In an extensible antenna assembly adapted to be mounted on a motor vehicle, an extensible radio signal-carrying member mounted on said vehicle for extension and retraction with respect thereto, a flexible actuating member secured to said extensible member, a reel structure carrying a rotatable disc, a coil-receiving recess formed in said disc and adapted to receive said flexible member therein in a series of turns of diflerent diameter, and guide means carried by the reel structure and arcuately positioned around and closely adjacent said disc to hold said turns in working order within said recess.

11. In an extensible antenna assembly adapted to be mounted on a motor vehicle, an extensible radio signal-carrying member mounted on said vehicle for extension and retraction with respect thereto, a flexible actuating member secured to said extensible member, a reel adapted to receive said flexible member and by its rotation cause or retract said extensible member, and means positioned around said recess and closely adjacent the opening into said recess to hold said flexible member in operative position within said recess.

13. An automotive vehicle antenna combination including, a basic tubular section adapted to have other sections telescopically housed therein with means for preventing the sections from being separated when the sections are moved to extended position, an insulating support and guide for the basic section, a member relatively stifl for longitudinal stresses, but easily bendable and having one end fastened to the inner antenna section, and means under control of an occupant of the vehicle for acting on said member to move said sections in the desired direction, and a receiver for the said member.

14. A radio antenna for mounting on the body of a vehicle, the antenna having a plurality of relatively movable telescopic sections, the basic one of which extends within and is insulatingly mounted on a part of the body of the vehicle, and means for extending from the basic section the other sections to any desired height within the full-length range of the antenna, and retracting the sections when desired, said means acting to push the inner located section out of its immediately surrounding section which is then pulled out of the basic section.

ROBERT L. DILLON. 

